Turkey Breast with Balsamic Glaze and Vegetable Sauté

Jamie Stolper

We eat lots of chicken in our family, but sometimes we just want a change.  When I found that our local Trader Joe's sells single, bone-in, kosher turkey breasts, I knew this would be the foundation of a new entrée for us.  This recipe is a variation of one I found on the Internet that immediately caught my attention because of its ease of preparation, healthfulness, and combination of vegetables and flavors.  It certainly met my expectations and more.  This is really easy to make and, if you take a little care in slicing the turkey and placing everything on a nice platter, it looks just beautiful.  This can be a special family dinner or a wonderful company dish.  It is also perfect for Passover, even a seder, as there are no ingredients that are forbidden on that holiday.  And, the leftovers are wonderful cold or at room temperature in a sandwich or salad.  Just about the perfect main course!  I have served it with Couscous with Dried Fruits and Pistachios and it was a delicious, healthy, easy, and beautiful dinner.  I have also used up to a 3 1/2 pound turkey breast with the same amount of vegetables and other ingredients and it was just fine.  If you'd like additional glaze for a larger breast, you could use some additional balsamic vinegar and some chicken stock when deglazing the pan.

Ingredients

1 2-3 pound turkey breast half, bone-in and skin on

2 tablespoons olive oil (1 plus 1)

3-4 assorted red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut into 1/3-inch wide strips

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (2 plus 3)

3 tablespoons capers, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a shallow roasting pan with non-stick spray.  Place the turkey breast on the pan and rub all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven, skin-side up, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees, about 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.  (The temperature should increase to 170-175 degrees.)

While the turkey is roasting, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the bell peppers and onions and sauté until tender and brown around the edges, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the thyme and stir for a minute or two.  Mix in 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar and the capers.  Set aside until the turkey is ready.

Remove the bones from the turkey (but not the skin, which should be nice and crispy).  Thinly slice the turkey crosswise and transfer to a large serving platter.  Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.  Place the roasting pan over 2 stove-top burners.  Pour remaining 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar into the pan and bring to a boil, constantly stirring and scraping up the browned bits stuck to the pan.  When combined, pour immediately over the turkey slices.  If necessary, reheat the vegetable mixture in the pan over high heat for a minute or two and arrange around the turkey.  Serve immediately.

Makes 6-10 servings, depending on the size of the turkey breast.